Hearn: Trust in us but Magpies will have to live within their means

DORCHESTER Town can live within its means as a community-owned club, according to chairman Shaun Hearn.

Majority shareholder Hearn agreed to give his stake in the Magpies’ to the club’s Community Trust and “is sure the club will do well if everybody supports it”.

The businessman expressed his desire to stay on as chairman when the trust comes in but declined to say how much money he had pumped into the club or whether he was able to get a return on his investment.

The move to a more sustainable future as a community club comes after Hearn last week told Echosport that the county town side had been massively over-budget in the last few months.

The Community Trust is now busy drafting business plans and projections in order to keep the club running when the change of ownership goes through.

And Hearn feels it’s a move that can succeed. He said: “I’m sure the club will do well if everybody supports it.

“The comments I’ve had from people so far have been very positive.

“The football club will work to a budget, forecasts and projections and it’s a case of sitting down and putting that plan in place for next season.

“The most important thing is that the day-to- day running needs to be a little more secure.

“Quite simply, I think that what we’re trying to do is make the club stronger and if everyone pulls together it will.

“It should be a fantastic opportunity and, at the end of the day, it should make the club stronger because we are adding to what we have got.

“It’s something I’ve been saying for a long time about it being community owned.

“We are trying to move forward and let the community own shares in the club.

“But I can’t emphasise enough that the board of directors will still run the club.”

He added: “The future for me is hopefully to remain as chairman.

“As far as I’m concerned I want to stay as chairman for a long time to come.

“That may change but we have to get everyone pulling in the same direction, nothing more, nothing less.

“I don’t think it’s about what I have put in over the years, it’s about moving forward with the discussions we’re having as a group.

“Once we’ve had those I can comment on that further.”

The Community Trust board and Dorchester Town Youth FC will work alongside the club’s board of directors, which will include members of the other two groups, to build a viable business.

Hearn said: “The board of directors will run the football club and there will be additions from the Comm-unity Trust and Dorchester Town Youth FC that will join the board.

“The trust board will look after the majority shareholding of the club and there will be the board of associate directors and the supporters’ club.

“There is no great change. It will be the different sections of the club joining together.

“Hopefully some good people will be joining the board and we need to make sure they realise the responsibilities.”